Auctores
measure

Customized server capacity

for demanding cloud applications

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Fast to go to market

with a complete cloud package

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Certified security standards

in compliance with EU data protection rules

Executive summary

Modern, secure and highly scalable applications from the cloud

Since 2006, Auctores GmbH, headquartered in Neumarkt (Bavaria), has been helping businesses and public institutions successfully manage their digital transformations. The company was created from the spin-off of an in-house computer systems department. Since then, Karl Weigl, the managing director, has consistently developed Auctores GmbH.

The range of services offered by the company includes the development of online applications - from simple websites and online shops to intranets and data management for companies and organizations from various industries. Auctores experts use a software framework based on the Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) platform.

Auctores develops market-oriented and cross-media communication and software strategies for its customers. The range includes the development of brands and mission statements as well as cross-media communication concepts for the B2B and end-customer sectors. The company also supports customers in tasks such as setting up and optimizing sales structures. Auctores customers benefit from the fact that the company has built up a cross-media division in addition to its software development division - including its own graphics department and editorial team.

In addition to modular customized software solutions, Auctores provides a wide range of software products with which customers can digitize their business processes. Based on its Java EE software framework, for example, the company offers a range of web-based applications for use in enterprises and public institutions. These are secure and scalable cloud applications with high availability.

These include the Visavid videoconferencing solution, the Conseles learning platform for schools and Auctores Home Office Management, a comprehensive solution for networked home office computing. For machine maintenance, object management, audits, on-demand control technology and internal documentation, Motys is available. With Auctores ERP, users can keep track of resources and business processes at all times.

The challenge

A powerful cloud infrastructure for demanding applications

In order to provide users with their cloud-based applications, Auctores first used bare metal and virtualized servers. But this approach had limitations. This was particularly the case when, following an EU-wide invitation to tender, the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs introduced the Visavid video conferencing system to Bavarian schools. Educational institutions used the platform during the Corona pandemic to maintain teaching operations under home-schooling schemes.

Up to 1.65 million students are now using the Visavid videoconferencing solution with the “Made in Germany" stamp. In addition, Auctores with Visavid Business provides a version of the videoconferencing system tailored to the needs of businesses and organizations. This enables them to conduct internal team meetings and coordinate with customers. Another area of use is interviewing people and meeting online with applicants. Visavid users can set up virtual meeting rooms for these conversations. The solution runs on all types of endpoints and can also run in a browser. Another advantage is that Visavid can be integrated into third-party applications, such as school software.

But real-time communication with a videoconferencing solution is a challenge for the IT infrastructure - especially when the system is deployed in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model through a cloud. Users do not find interrupted connections or shaky images acceptable. To avoid this, the IT environment must have sufficient server capacity and network bandwidth. Similar requirements exist for business applications such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). If needed, thousands of servers can be powered up in a very short time without lengthy waiting times or performance degradation. "Sufficient capacity in terms of computing and bandwidth capacity is the be-all and end-all, something that not many providers in Europe could manage due to our requirements," says Daniel Hausner, project and product manager at Auctores GmbH. In Auctores' experience, the pre-existing IT infrastructure was unable to cope with these requirements.

The solution

Powerful, scalable cloud infrastructure with load balancing capabilities

The software and consulting company from Bavaria therefore set out to find a cloud provider that could offer a high-performance and a highly scalable cloud infrastructure that could also be dynamically adapted to the requirements of Auctores’ customers. Data and application security were other criteria. The cloud platform had to comply with the requirements of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This is especially important when dealing with sensitive data using cloud services. This is particularly true for a solution that is used in schools. However, business information must also ensure that third parties cannot gain access to data. This is also true of state institutions outside the EU.

Auctores Diagram

 

After a thorough analysis of the offerings of various cloud service providers, Auctores selected OVHcloud. Headquartered in France, the company is the leading European cloud provider. With datacentres in France, Germany, and Poland, the vendor is well positioned in the European Union. In Germany, OVHcloud operates a datacentre housing 45,000 servers on a campus of approximately 2,500 square meters in Limburg. With a total of more than 30 datacentres worldwide, high availability of cloud resources is guaranteed at all times. In addition, OVHcloud datacentres are ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701 certified. Moreover, the company holds the C5 certification of the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Germany and other national certifications such as SecNumCloud in France or G-Cloud in the UK. This means they meet the most demanding information security, data protection, business continuity, and resiliency requirements. "Data protection and security are key requirements for our customers - especially in the educational sector - and are therefore crucial for us," says Hausner.

Auctores uses several OVHcloud services and infrastructure components. These include the OVHcloud Public Cloud infrastructure and the OpenStack API interface as well as Managed Cloud Databases. These managed databases are designed for demanding applications such as cloud-based business applications and video conferencing solutions from Auctores GmbH.

In order to ensure that sufficient bandwidth is always available for their applications in a consistently high quality, Auctores also uses OVHcloud Loadbalancer. The solution handles load balancing when demand for a web application is subject to fluctuations. Another advantage of OVHcloud Loadbalancer is that it allows network capacity to grow along with an increase in users.

"OVHcloud has enabled us to deliver highly scalable and secure software solutions from the cloud to our customers. These offerings are in demand more than ever before."

Daniel Hausner, Project and Product Manager at Auctores GmbH

The result

The switch to OVHcloud has paid off in full for Auctores GmbH. Even if thousands of servers are needed to be quickly activated due to high demand for the company's SaaS offerings, there are no performance bottlenecks. Services are available to users immediately and in high quality. The extremely high scalability of traffic and network bandwidth particularly yield excellent results, especially for videoconferencing applications.

Another benefit of Auctores' collaboration with OVHcloud is: The amount of time it takes for cloud-based applications to go live has dramatically decreased. Auctores and their customers both benefit from this. Users can drive their digitization projects faster with the help of the company's solutions; the solution provider, in turn, is able to bring attractive SaaS offerings to market more quickly.

Another point that speaks in favour of OVHcloud is their excellent technical support. Customers can rely on an experienced team of technical account managers, key account managers, solution architects, and engineers. OVHcloud builds these teams according to the industry in which each customer operates. This means that OVHcloud's specialists will address a user's specific needs. These experts are available to assist users at every stage - from the strategic and technical implementation of a project to the resolution of a fault.

"OVHcloud not only offers excellent cloud solutions at an attractive price, but also a first-class service. This significantly reduces the time to market for our offerings."

Daniel Hausner, Project and Product Manager at Auctores GmbH